What was there before free agency?

[psubills62]

I've googled it a couple times and never come up with a good answer, so I beseech the people who have followed football longer than I have - what was there before free agency? I keep hearing about how "since free agency started in 1993," etc.

But what was there before 1993? I saw an article saying there was limited free agency in the late 80's, where the team signing a player had to give up money and draft picks, which sounds very similar to restricted free agency.

Before free agency, what happened when a player's contract ran out?

I'm only 24 (just turned 24, too), so don't think any less of me...I didn't follow football beyond fall Sundays until a couple years ago. A history lesson would be much appreciated here. Thanks.

[Mr. Pink]

Before FA existed as we know it now...

Free Agency in football was called Plan B Free Agency starting in 1989 and then was deemed a violation of anti-trust laws after some players sued the NFL over it. Freeman McNeil, Frank Minnifield and Don Majkowski were the major players involved in the lawsuit.

Basically you could protect a certain amount of players and then you'd have the right or ability to match whatever offer another team gave them, if you wanted to keep them, then the unprotected players were allowed to be signed anywhere.

So basically the only players that hit FA were the ones that their old teams didn't want anymore, for whatever reason.

Prior to that one had to have a certain tenure in the league before he was eligible to negotiate with another team. The other team had the right to match whatever the offer was and if they didn't then they received compensation in the form of draft picks.

Wilbur Marshall in 1988 went from the Bears to the Redskins under this form of "free agency" Chicago received two first round draft choices for losing him.

[Mr. Pink]

If any of that confuses you or you want more info...

Check this article out that details FA prior to Plan B....

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1127112/index.htm

[psubills62]

If any of that confuses you or you want more info...

Check this article out that details FA prior to Plan B....

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1127112/index.htm

That's an interesting article. It's funny to see that even back then, the Redskins were the big spenders in FA. Also, they saw the 1st round picks as something of a curse then too...saying that the guy requires big money and doesn't sign in time for camp. Very interesting, thanks for posting it.